


Beyond the Sky

by negaii



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: AU, Crossover, Fluff, Flying, Friendship, Gen, Loftwings - Freeform, M/M, Magical Creature, Romance, Secret Identity
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-18
Updated: 2017-04-04
Packaged: 2018-09-09 09:22:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8885458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/negaii/pseuds/negaii
Summary: Nino has lived in the quiet sky town of Kumo all his life. One day, he finds an injured loftwing by the waterfalls. As he heals it back to health, the loftwing may not be as what it appears.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So. I shouldn't be writing more fics, but I am. And yes, this has no smut (for once). The story is inspired by the game, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Let's see if i can finish this one lol. Credits to rinkufan for the title.

Nino was twenty-five years old and lived in the small and bustling sky town of Kumo all his life. His life was very quiet and peaceful that fell towards the boring side. His mother believed he was just a lazy child. Okay, well, he wasn’t the most _active_ guy in the world, but what did you expect from someone who lived among the clouds? What did one do when you lived in a tiny island floating in the vast blue skies? (Not much to be honest.)

For the most part, life in Kumo was peaceful. He had three other guys who he could all call his best friends, and they had all grown up together.

Ohno Satoshi was the son of their local butcher with an obsession for fish; Sakurai Sho was the town mayor’s son and worked as a merchant—he was the one who was away all the time since he went out of town to bring back exotic and delicious goods to sell to the rest of the townsfolk; and Aiba Masaki was the son of a loving couple who owned one of the taverns in town, but had decided to stray from his parents’ wishes in taking over the business and had joined Shimura Ken in caring for loftwings instead.

Nino supposed everyone had grown up to meet the adults’ expectations in some way (except for him maybe). He had no aspirations and desire to make a name for himself, he wasn't ambitious, and he didn't like being around other people for long periods of time. He was content in his quiet life on the tiny floating island in the sky as a musician.

Nino played his guitar six evenings a week at the Aiba family tavern to earn his livings. Sometimes he went to other sky towns, but Nino mainly stayed in Kumo. He didn't make much, but it was still something to help his family with. His mother always sighed at his lack of motivation and ambition for the greater things in life.

For Nino, there was no point. What type of future was there for someone who had a slight hunchback, short stubby fingers, would rather stay inside all day than step out in the sun, and was always composing melodies in his head? He definitely didn't have his head in the clouds as often as Ohno did, but constantly thinking up melodies wasn't much better (well, only a little bit).

He was sitting in his room and contemplating the meaning of his life and his choices before a loud squawk interrupted his thoughts. He smiled and turned his gaze towards the open window where his loftwing, Niji, had her head poking through to look at him. She squawked at him again and placed her head down on the ledge of the window, demanding to be petted.

“Hey girl, how was your nap?” he asked in greeting as he made his way over to her to place a hand on her head. She was smaller than most of her kind, but she was the perfect size for him (he was not that big himself). Her yellow and gold feathers sparkled in the sunlight and Nino wondered how he ended up in a bond with her. Why she had decided to choose him.

Loftwings were large bird-like creatures that came in many colours of the rainbow. Nino’s loftwing was a canary yellow with golden undertones on her wings, and a large patch of white fur on her stomach. She had first came to him when he was exploring the tiny island at the age of 14. At the time, no one in his circle of friends and acquaintances had received or even thought about having a loftwing for themselves.

Loftwings were very spiritual creatures, and they often choose a human they felt that they could have a strong connection with. They had to like the soul of the person they chose to even bond with them (Nino didn't really understand it himself). While such connection might be special, it actually wasn’t uncommon as one thought; many people in the Kingdom of Arashi had been chosen by numerous loftwings that flew the skies in search of their rider. Nino just didn’t think he would end up with a loftwing of his own.

He was the first in his age group to meet his loftwing. She had come out of nowhere, scaring the living wits out of him with a loud squawk when he was relaxing by the falls. Nino had thought she belonged to someone else, refusing to even ponder the thought about having a loftwing of his own. However, he began to rethink the idea when she had refused to leave him alone because she followed him _everywhere._

_Nino blinked up at the loftwing in front of him. The loftwing stared back at him, occasionally breaking the staring contest to groom her feathers. He took a step back. The loftwing took a step forward. Back. Forward. Back. Forward. He started to panic._

_Why was the loftwing following him? Surely loftwings didn’t eat people? Nino looked around for some berries he could give to the creature, but grimaced when he remembered he was by the falls, and there was really just an abundance of flora and fauna everywhere. He looked back warily at the loftwing. She stared back at him with a bored look. She was now sitting on the grass closer to him. In fact, Nino realized that she had been slowly trying to move closer to him for the past hour. This sneaky bird, he thought to himself in bemusement._

_They sat like this for a few more minutes before Nino decided to break the silence. “You're not going to leave me alone, are you?” he asked in resignation as he shuffled closer to her cautiously. Even if she seemed friendly so far, Nino didn't want to take any risk and have his head bitten off. While she was much smaller than many of the loftwings he had seen before, her beak was quite large, and Nino had no doubts that she could break his skull if she decided to bite him._

_As he inched closer, he hesitantly held out a hand. She stared back at him, not making a single movement. Based on her body language, Nino deduced that she wasn't feeling threatened so far. In fact, she still looked rather bored, her gaze seriously giving him a ‘can you stop being a wimp and get over yourself already?’ feeling._

_Nino gulped as he was now approximately one metre away from the yellow lofting. This was actually his first time standing so close to one. Loftwings that were unbonded did not have any sort of accessory to indicate ownership. Most riders would give their loftwings trinkets, necklaces, or something tied around their feet to show that they were bonded. This yellow loftwing had none of that to show that it had a rider. Hesitatingly, Nino moved closer to the yellow loftwing, hand still outstretched. If there was a spark when they made contact, Nino knew that a bond would form. He was nervous. He didn’t know what to do if he actually bonded with the loftwing._

_But what loftwing would want to bond with someone like him? Nino didn’t think a loftwing would choose to bond with a teenage boy with absolutely no unique characteristic. Someone like Sho or Masaki would be more probable, he thought as he was finally one face apart from the loftwing. She didn’t make a single movement, just watched him from her striking blue eyes._

_Nino gulped as he raised a hand, hovering it over her head. “I better not get my head bitten off,” he mumbled before he slowly placed his hand on the loftwing’s head. Seeing no reaction, Nino proceeded to stroke the feathers on her head. She closed her eyes and seemed to bask in his touch. Feeling a little braver, Nino brought his hand down to her neck and stroked at the soft feathers that were white instead of the canary yellow that decorated the rest of her body. Suddenly, Nino felt his wave of heat flash through him and when he looked up at her, she was bowing her head down at him, signifying the acceptance of their bond._

When Nino realized he had bonded with Niji, he panicked. For far too long, he had told himself that he was never going to have a loftwing of his own, that no majestic creature would ever want him, that he was unworthy of such a gift. Yet, there he was at age fourteen with a yellow loftwing had waited for him to approach her.

His bond with the loftwing had surprised everybody except his mother and three best friends. His friends had known, even at a young age, that Nino was special. True, he didn't have many character traits that were outstanding for someone who had a loftwing (but then again, what were those supposed to be?), but Nino had a unique talent for music, a gift that not a lot of people had. Niji was one of the most musical birds that everyone had gotten the chance to meet. _That was probably why Niji came to you,_ his mother had told him when she found the loftwing following him home one day, chirping a tune.

Like humans, loftwings all had their own personalities and interests, and Niji’s favourite thing to do was sing. Nino had been awe in the first few months of his bonding with her because he had never met a musical loftwing before. His loftwing was smaller than most he had seen, and Nino had wondered about that. He had bugged Aiba to lend him his library full of animal and creature books, and he had found that Niji belonged to the branch of loftwings that had an affinity for music.

The loftwings of this breed were attracted to music and sing, and most loftwings from this breed picked their partner based on musical creativity and talent Nino had looked at her in amusement. Who would've thought that his love for music would have gotten him a loftwing? Not that he minded, of course. He was glad that he had someone who enjoyed the same passion he did for creating melodies. She was a little weird though, but Nino supposed that was normal with creative types as Ohno’s loftwing wasweird too.

To everyone's surprise, Sho had gotten his loftwing last. Nino had been sure that She would have been the one to meet his first, but that had not been the case. Keio was very similar to his friend, Nino thought as he chuckled when Niji nuzzled his face. Keio was large, standing taller than Sho, with a strong frame full of muscle. He was red in colouring, and had the scariest look on his face most of the time. However, Keio was also a very big scaredy cat, always jumping in fright when he saw tiny pests such as mice.

“Hey, Niji, let's create a song tomorrow?” Nino asked as he stroked the creature’s beak. She chirped and nuzzled her head against his hand in agreement. Laughing, Nino wrapped both arms around her neck in a hug. He felt blessed.

 

“Okay, let's do this again.”

Nino cracked his knuckles before placing his hands back on the guitar. Niji was standing in front of him and squawked in agreement.

The two of them were composing a song for fun, and Nino decided to compose it with his guitar this time. Niji was helping him with the accompaniment. Nino began to strum a few chords before playing the actual notes he had written. After a beat, Niji began to trill along, her melodious chirping creating a pleasant harmony with his playing. The two spent another hour composing until Nino decided it was time to pack up and head back to town.

“Really nice work, girl! We can finish the rest tomorrow.” Niji chirped in delight and nuzzled her head against him. He chuckled and placed a hand on her head and stroked the soft fur. She grunted in pleasure. “Let's get back now, I think Sho-chan is coming home today!”

Niji gave another squawk before bending down to let Nino climb on. Grabbing onto the reins, Nino quickly pulled himself on top of her back and held on tight. Once Niji felt that he was ready, the loftwing flapped its large wings a few times before running towards the edge of the small island’s cliff and jumping off.

Nino gave a shout of excitement as the two of them plummeted down the clouds before Niji spread her wings to bring them to a glide. Flapping her wings rapidly, she brought them up a few inches higher in the air before setting their path towards Kumo.

Nino loved flying. It was exhilarating to be travelling amongst the clouds with his loftwing. Flying was the one thing that kept him occupied when he was bored out of his mind, and when he wanted some peace from everyone. Nino let out a loud whoop when Niji picked up speed towards the island.

When they landed, Nino scrambled for the treat he had in his pocket and offered it to Niji. Niji trilled happily before taking the treat in his hand. Nino watched fondly as his bird chewed the treat and readjusted the strap of his guitar case. “Go and have fun with the others, Niji,” he said and patted the loftwing on the neck. “I’ll see you tonight.” The loftwing let out another happy cry and leaned down to nuzzle her owner. Nino chuckled and nuzzled his face back against her feathers. When they parted, he watched the bird turn around and took flight in search of her friends.

He watched her go for a few more moments before turning around and walked back home.

 

The next day, his mother decided it was her duty to wake up her son bright and early. Nino grumbled as his mother knocked on his door loudly and hollered at him to come down for breakfast. Sighing, Nino threw the covers off and got out of bed to get ready for the day.

When he finally came downstairs thirty minutes later, his mother and sister were already seated at the table and eating their breakfast. He took a seat next to his sister and dug in. When breakfast was cleared, his mother called out to him before he could go back to his room.

“Kazunari,” she said when he finally stacked the last plate in the dish rack. He looked over at his mother who was sitting at the dining table.

“Yes mother?”

“Are you busy today?” She was holding a small piece of paper in her hand and he eyed it curiously. He racked his brain for his schedule today and he had nothing of significant happening so far.

“Nope, not that I remember.”

His mother slid the piece of paper towards him. Drying his hands on the towel, Nino walked over the table to join his mother. He grabbed the paper from the table and looked at it. It was an order form for a parcel.

“I need you to go to Skyloft and pick this up for me,” she explained.

Nino furrowed his brow and looked up at her. “What is it?”

“It’s something I had custom made for your sister’s birthday.”

“Ah,” he tucked the form into his pocket. “And I’m assuming you want me to leave now?”

“If you want to be back in time for dinner,” she replied. “Don’t dawdle! Go, and come straight home! I’m making oden tonight.”

Nino gave her a salute as he walked backwards out of the kitchen. “Yes ma'am!”

 

“Where are you going?” Aiba asked when Nino and Niji were walking to the town’s gates. The town he had to go to was in the west and Nino would rather take off from the west of the island than have to go around the entire island. His friend sent him a curious expression as he took in their appearance. Nino shook his head.

“I’m just going to pick something up for my mother in the next town over.”

“Infinity Island?” Aiba asked as Nino climbed on top of Niji’s back. Nino mentally checked to see if he had everything he needed for the trip. _Medicine, water, snacks, form…_

“No. I’m going to Skyloft.” Nino pulled on his riding gloves and goggles. “I’ll be back by dinner.”

Aiba nodded. “Well, okay, take care! Or else Sho-chan will worry.”

Nino chuckled and gave his friend a fist pump. “Sho-chan always worries.” Aiba laughed.

“Of course! Have a safe trip you two!”

Nino gave his friend a salute before Niji ran towards the cliff and jumped down and took flight. Nino laughed happily as she started flap her wings madly to get them up higher in the air.

When she managed to reach a decent height, Nino shuffled through his bag for his compass. They had to head west to reach Skyloft and it was approximately a three hour flight. He reached back down into his bag and pulled out his map.

They could make tiny stops at the tiny islands along the way until the reached their destination. Satisfied with his plan, he placed the map back into his bag and held onto the compass in his hand.

“Let's try to finish this as quick as possible, girl,” he said to his loftwing. Niji gave a small squawk in agreement.

Together, they soared among the clouds.

 

True to his word, Nino was on his way back to Amnos near dinner time. He looked down at his watch and mentally calculated that they had about twenty minutes before they reached the mainland.

The parcel was a small box when he arrived at the blacksmith’s for pick up. It wasn’t anything fancy and he was tempted to open it to check the contents inside. He refrained— his mother would definitely find out and have his head.

As they got closer to Kumo, Nino realized they still had about an hour left until dinner time. He reached down and patted Niji on the neck to get her attention.

“Hey, Niji! Let's make a quick stop by the falls. We can freshen up a bit before heading home!” The bird let out a trill before changing course and headed towards the side of the sky island.

When they got closer to the waterfalls, Nino noticed a purple figure near the water. “What's that?” he asked out loud as he tried to look closer at the figure. “Is that a loftwing?”

When they landed on the island, Nino’s suspicions were confirmed: it was a loftwing! And an injured one at that if the way its wings were crooked... and bleeding?! Nino had a few medical supplies in his bag, and he knew how to treat loftwings. Deciding that he couldn't leave it bleeding there, he decided he was going to help it out. Nino looked up at Niji with a determined face.

“If I get attacked, you have to avenge me, okay?” he warned her.

Niji sent a look of bemusement before walking right past him towards the loftwing herself. Nino chuckled but watched his bird approach the purple loftwing.

It was gorgeous. The loftwing was royal purple in colour with silky feathers. The feathers hardly looked out of place except for the ones on its wings. This was a bird that was taken care of. _I wonder where its partner is,_ Nino thought as Niji made noises at it to let it know he was approaching.

The purple loftwing stirred as Nino came closer and made a tiny squawk back in reply. When Niji turned to look at him, Nino knew that it was okay to approach. Holding the strap of his bag closely to his chest, Nino carefully made his way up to the two loftwings. He decided to go around Niji just in case the purple loftwing decided to lose its temper and attack him.

The loftwing watched him warily as he approached it with two hands in the air, showing that he was harmless. “It’s okay,” he said to it soothingly, “I'm here to help you.” Niji said something to the purple loftwing and Nino could see the injured loftwing relax slightly. He turned to her and gave her a grin.

Crouching down, Nino carefully examined the wing. It was definitely injured alright, making noises of pain. Setting his bag down, Nino crouched down beside the loftwing and paused before turning to it. “May I touch you?” It was always better to ask them if he could touch them or risk getting his head bit off. The loftwing stared at him for a couple seconds before giving him a small nod. Nino smiled at it reassuringly and reached out to examine its wings.

When he looked closer, Nino saw that the wing was actually bleeding underneath. He let out a loud gasp when he saw a bullet stuck in its wings. “How long did you have this in you?” he asked worriedly before reaching for his bag and pulled out a pair of gloves. He glanced at the loftwing again, its silver eyes watching him as he slowly approached the wound. “I’m going to take this out okay? It’s going to hurt,” he explained to the loftwing as he gently placed a hand on its wings. The loftwing didn’t make any noise—it just watched him.

Taking the silence as a cue to keep going, Nino sent Niji a quick look before he got to work. Aiba should have been the one to do this, his best friend being more suitable with the care of loftwings. But they didn’t have time to go find him, and Nino couldn’t imagine how much pain the loftwing might be in, stoic as it was.

Just as he was about to reach for the bullet, Nino remembered that he needed water. He turned and scrambled through his bag for his water bottle and dumped the contents into the grass before holding it out to her by the straps. “Niji, can you go get me some of the water by the falls, please?” Niji nodded and gently took the bottle in her beak before running the opposite direction to complete the task. Nino smiled fondly at the loftwing before turning back to the purple one in front of him. He patted it on the uninjured wing. “Sorry about this, but we do need that water before I start anything,” he explained. The loftwing just huffed and turned its gaze elsewhere.

Nino shook his head in amusement at the sudden attitude from the loftwing. Several minutes later, Niji came scampering back with the requested water. Thanking his friend, Nino got to work. He first extracted the bullet, making sure to keep an eye on the loftwing for any sudden movements that would involve getting his head bit off. Loftwings weren’t generally violent creatures, but Nino still didn’t want to risk a chance. Thankfully, Niji stood by him and the bird sang soft melodies to comfort the other one as he worked. Finally, after all the blood was cleaned, Nino was wrapping the loftwing’s wound with bandages. When he cut the bandages and tucked it in, he sat back and wiped the sweat from his forehead with his forearm.

“There! Done!” he said in exhaustion. Niji chirped happily beside him and Nino smiled up at her. “It should be okay, I followed Masaki’s directions closely.”

The purple loftwing slowly sat up and inspected its wing. Nino scooted away from the bird and leaned against Niji’s legs. Seemingly satisfied, the purple loftwing let out a loud call before walking over to Nino. Nino watched with wide eyes as the loftwing made a small bow, its eyes closing as it moved towards the floor.

“Wow! I don’t think I’ve ever had another loftwing bow at me!” Nino exclaimed with a laugh. He returned the bow with a small one of his own. “Now all you have to do is wait for it to heal. Should take about two weeks at least. But you should probably rest a little longer when the bandages come off.” Nino took a sip of the leftover water in his bottle. “I should get Masaki to look at you before you go actually.”

Nino got up and started gathering his belongings. The loftwing watched him as he slung the backpack over his shoulder. “For now I guess you should stay and make a home here for a bit. You won’t be flying anywhere with that wing of yours.” He patted Niji on the neck. “I’ll be back in a bit,” he told the purple loftwing as he climbed on top of his own loftwing. “So don’t go away!”

The purple loftwing made a small noise at him and sat down on the grass. Smiling at it, he tapped Niji on her sides with his legs and the bird ran off the cliff and took flight.

Half an hour later, Nino and Niji arrived back to the site. The purple loftwing had moved to sit near the falls of the tiny island. It turned its head towards them when it heard Niji land. Nino swung his legs to this side and jumped off Niji. The loftwing got up slowly and walked over to them.

Nino smiled and waved at the loftwing with his free hand. In his other hand, he was holding food for the purple loftwing. “I brought dinner for you,” he said as he placed the food bowl on the grass and poured the loftwing feed into it. “Sorry it’s not much, I have to go visit my friend tomorrow to get you vegetables,” Nino said as he watched the purple loftwing sniff at the food before it began eating it.

Niji made a noise beside him and went over to the waterfalls for a drink. Nino smiled at her before turning his attention back to the purple loftwing. Now that he got a properlook at the loftwing, Nino was impressed. It was definitely a magnificent creature, much bigger than Niji and Ohno’s own Sammi. It seemed to be about the same height as Aiba’s Natsu’s, but slightly smaller than Sho’s Keio. When Nino was wrapping the bird’s wing earlier, he definitely felt the muscle and strength beneath its feathers.

When the loftwing was done, it cooed at him in thanks. Nino smiled and nodded. “I’ll bring some good food tomorrow,” he promised the loftwing. “Sorry for the poor fare today.” The loftwing shook its head. Nino grinned up at it. “Ah, I guess I should give you a temporary name for now, since I don’t know if you have an owner or not.” He had checked to see if there was any collar earlier, but the loftwing had nothing of the sort.

Generally that meant that the loftwing was unbonded, but some riders preferred their loftwings to not wear anything, giving their friends a sense of freedom. Nino had given Nino a small collar with a musical note pendant. The loftwing had loved it when he presented it to her and had worn it since.

The purple loftwing just stared back at him. If Nino didn’t know any better, he would’ve thought the loftwing was staring at him in bemusement. He racked his brain for a name. “Hmmm… what should your temporary name be?” Finally, it hit him. “Oh!” He said and snapped his fingers. “What about Momo? You look like a Momo!”

The loftwing stared at him, and this time, Nino knew it was in bemusement. He chuckled, amused at the loftwing’s personality. “Arlight, Momo it is, since you seem to love the name so much,” he teased. He ignored the loftwing’s squawks and called out to his own loftwing, “Niji! This is Momo! He—” Nino paused and crouched down to double check before straightening up again. “He will be under our care for the next couple of weeks.”

Nino laughed when the loftwing glared at him and marched over to Niji with a huff. _It’s going be an interesting two weeks,_ Nino thought to himself as he watched the two loftwings interact. Niji was so much smaller than Momo, but they seemed to be on friendly terms. _Better than them hating each other,_ he thought wryly as he watched them. He began to collect his things before calling Niji over to leave.

The purple loftwing followed his yellow loftwing back to him, its eyes steady on him as it slowly walked up to him. Nino grinned at him and threw his backpack over his shoulder. “Now be a good boy, Momo. No one knows you’re here yet, and I think it's best if we keep it that way because Kumo is such a small sky town. It would be too much of a headache to deal with,” he said with a shake of his head. He looked at the loftwing’s bandaged wing. “Try to get some rest if you can. And please don't try to fly,” he pleaded, “or else I will have to get Masaki and I rather not.”

Nino loved his friends, he really did, but Aiba had a big mouth; Sho was too much of a responsible adult and would try to find a way to locate the loftwing’s rider (if Momo did have one) in a way that would cause too much attention; and Ohno… well, Ohno would probably just go along with whatever Nino wanted because Ohno understood Nino like that. Still, Ohno tended to blab to Sho when he felt overwhelmed with some sort of responsibility and Nino just did not want to get a headache from them. It was a small town after all—gossip spread like wildfire here.

His friends meant well, and Nino honestly trusted them, but he didn't want people to know about this little secret of his just yet. It was nice to have something no one knew about, especially because of the lack of privacy around these parts.

Waving at Momo in parting, Nino tapped Niji gently on her side. He turned to look back at Momo one last time, noting the curious look he gave as he watched them leave before Niji dropped down into the sky and took flight.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do people still care about this fic? xD This fic will get completed eventually.... sometime this year.
> 
> Thanks to my beta for looking over this thing. Mistakes are mine as always :)

The next day, Nino headed into town to buy some vegetables for Momo and Niji. He winced a little at the extra expenses, but Nino had made the decision to heal the loftwing, and well, he had to see it through. He walked past the Ohno family stall and waved at his sleepy friend before making a sharp right to the vegetable stall. After buying a couple of carrots and radishes, Nino made his way back home.

The house was empty today; his mother was visiting a friend on the other side of town, and his sister was out on a date with her boyfriend. No doubt they would ask about the extra groceries if they saw them, and Nino was thankful he was home alone this afternoon. He took the groceries to the kitchen and began to prepare the vegetables for the loftwings.

As he was preparing the food, he didn't notice someone tapping on his kitchen window, too engrossed in his task. When the tapping got louder, Nino finally looked up. It was Natsu, Aiba’s green loftwing. Among the four of them, Natsu was the biggest in terms of height. Keio, Sho’s maroon loftwing was bulkier, but Natsu matched him in strength. Nino smiled as he thought about how similar the loftwings were to their riders.

Nino dropped the knife and wiped his hands on his apron before going to open the window.

“Hi Natsu, what do you have for me today?” he greeted the friendly loftwing warmly. Natsu clipped his beak in happiness at Nino before he bent down to grab something from his messenger bag.

Nino waited patiently for the loftwing to find what he was looking for, and grabbed a piece of daikon from his cutting board as a treat for the green creature.

Finally, Natsu managed to pull a small envelope out of the bag and held it out for Nino to take from his beak. Nino took the letter and held his hand out for Natsu to take the daikon from him. Natsu squawked happily at Nino before taking the daikon from him.

Nino smiled at the loftwing and waved him off as Natsu gave Nino one last happy squawk and scrambled off, probably back to his rider. Taking a seat at the kitchen, Nino ripped the letter open and pulled out the paper that was inside.

It was a wedding invitation. A wedding invitation from Masami.

Nino looked at it in disbelief. How many years had it been since he had last seen her? She had been his childhood sweetheart, his first kiss, first love, first time, and they had almost even gotten married. until she had asked something of him that he had not been able to give her.

He counted the years in his head. If he was correct, it had been almost six years since he had last seen her, six years since she had left Kumo to go follow her dreams of working for the renowned Naka Riisa, an eccentric fashion designer at the kingdom of Arashi.

Nino frowned as he stared at the invitation. They had not parted on bad terms, but it had been far from the best. Nino was surprised she’d even bothered to send him an invitation. He stared down at the expensive paper.

A knock on the door broke him out of his thoughts. Furrowing his brow, Nino got up and headed for the front door. When he opened the door, he was greeted by the sight of his two friends, Aiba and Ohno.

“What are you guys doing here?” Nino asked in confusion as Aiba pushed his way through. Ohno smiled at him and gave him a hug that he automatically returned.

“Did you get it?” Aiba asked as he shoved his hand in his pocket and took out an envelope similar to Nino’s.

“The invitation? Yeah, Natsu delivered it for me.” Ohno pulled back but didn't let go of him.

“And what did you think?” Aiba asked as they made their way to Nino’s living room. Nino plopped himself in the armchair while Ohno took a seat next to Aiba.

Nino shrugged. “Nothing.” It was true; he didn't feel anything and it was annoying him how his friends were treating him— he wasn't made of glass.

Aiba frowned. “Nothing? Nothing at all?”

“Aiba-shi, it has been _years_ since we broke up,” Nino snapped, “why would I care now?”

“Because you took it badly, despite what you may have thought,” Aiba replied in exasperation.

“What do you mean by that? I thought I handled it quite well, thank you very much,” Nino scowled.

Aiba shook his head and Nino hated the concern that appeared in his eyes. He didn't want the pity (even if there wasn't anything to be pitied for). “Nino, it scared us, you know? When Masami-chan left… you changed.”

“What? I've been the same as I always have. Sure, I may have acted out of it a bit—”

“Eight months?” Aiba cut in with a whisper. Nino ignored him.

“ _A bit._ I eventually got over it.” Nino narrowed his eyes at him and turned to Ohno with a questioning glance.

Ohno smiled at him wryly. “I'm sorry Nino, but I agree with Aiba-chan. You… you weren't well when she left.”

“Oh for goodness sakes!” Nino exclaimed in exasperation and stood up. He crossed his arms and glared at them. “While I appreciate your concern, there's no need for it. Now, if there isn’t anything else I have to go.” Momo was probably waiting for his lunch.

Ohno and Aiba exchanged quick glances at each other. Nino sighed and shook his head. “I’m going to go then, if you guys have nothing else to tell me.”

“Where are you going?” Aiba asked as he and Ohno stood up at the same time.

“None of your business,” he retorted, “now, please leave. Nino is busy.”

His friends started to protest, but Nino was already pointing them out towards the door with a stern look.

 

“Sorry I'm late, Momo!” Nino shouted in greeting as Niji landed on the soft grass.

The purple loftwing walked up to them when Nino jumped off of Niji. Nino smiled when the loftwing got closer, no longer looking wary of him. Nino raised a hand and gently stroked the Momo’s beak. The loftwing let out a soft huff and pushed into his hand. Chuckling, Nino moved his hand down to scratch beneath his chin. At the corner of his eye, he saw Niji wandering over to the the waterfall.

“And how are we today?” Nino asked the purple loftwing. Momo gave another huff before nosing at the messenger bag around his waist. “Hungry, I see!” Nino chuckled. “Alright, alright. Let's go closer to the falls.”

The two of them made their way closer to the waters. Nino watched the loftwing from the corner of his eye. Momo’s condition seemed a little better today than yesterday, looking much more active. When they reached the edge of the waterfall, Nino plopped himself down on the grass and rummaged through his bag. Momo stood a good metre away from him, watching him closely.

When he pulled out the container of vegetables, he called out to Niji before turning back to the hungry loftwing in front of him. Momo watched him patiently while he opened the container and placed it in front of the creature.

Niji walked up beside Momo and squawked. Nino rolled his eyes. “Who said to go meandering at the falls?” he asked before grabbing Niji’s container and opening it up for her. She let out another squawk before digging in.

Nino watched the two birds eat with a smile before getting up and headed over to the falls for a drink. He sat back with a sigh and looked up at the sky. It was clear, not a single cloud in sight. The sun was shining down strongly and Nino grumbled to himself at how bright the day was. He thought back to the wedding invitation he received earlier today.

Even though he’d known it was bound to happen, it still shocked him that Masami was getting married. Nino scratched at his neck absentmindedly. He didn't really want to go, and not for the reasons that a lot of people might think: he wasn't jealous. No, Nino wasn't jealous that she was moving on in her life at all. He was happy for her. She was a good person, she was ambitious in life, and she deserved to be happy. But Nino… Nino wasn't sure he wanted her to see him like this: someone who wasn't doing much with his life. That was why they didn't work. Masami had always wanted more. Nino was content with living the quiet life.

He startled when he felt something poke him at his side. Turning his head, he looked at Niji, who was nudging him with her beak. “You guys done?” Nino asked softly. He turned around to look behind him and saw Momo looking at them in curiosity. He smiled at Momo and waved him over. “Want to join us?”

Momo paused for a moment before walking over and sitting down beside him. Nino grinned as the loftwing made himself comfortable. Nino poked Momo in the stomach. The loftwing grunted.

“I wonder if you have a rider…” Nino mused as he looked up at Momo. The creature stared back at him. “You’re a very pretty loftwing.” He chuckled when the bird started preening himself. “Alright, alright, don’t let that get to your head, Momo.”

Nino grinned before turning to face forward again, lost in his thoughts about this morning’s events. He debated on whether he should go to her wedding. He knew Masami would be disappointed if he didn’t—they did part on friendly terms after all. But Nino wasn’t sure he wanted to go to the capital, or to meet people he didn’t know—people who would ask what he was doing with his life, and what his plans were. He shook his head in frustration. No, he definitely didn’t want to deal with that.

“What should I do?” he mumbled to himself quietly as he pulled on the grass gently. He felt Momo nudge against his shoulder. “What should I do, Momo?” he asked the purple loftwing in frustration. As expected, he received no answer. Sighing to himself, Nino placed his chin on his knees, staring down at his shoes. “Sometimes I wish I could understand loftwing speak,” he admitted in exasperation. “Then I could hear what you guys are thinking.”

Nino startled when he felt Momo butt his head against him, nearly toppling him over. He looked up at the creature in surprise and the loftwing stared back at him with a stern gaze. He chuckled. He had a vague impression that Momo was trying to cheer him up in his own awkward way. Nino grinned up at him.

“Thanks Momo. I'll think about my issues later. Masami can wait.” He spent the rest of the afternoon amusing himself with the loftwings.

 

Over the next several days, Nino continued to visit Momo every chance he got. The purple loftwing’s wound was healing rather nicely but Nino warned the creature to avoid flying if he could help it. Momo seemed disgruntled by that, but he had surprisingly obeyed Nino without (too much) complaint.

Niji seemed to have develop a strong liking to Momo as well. When they went to visit the purple loftwing, Niji always seemed a little happier and the two loftwings would spend their entire time exploring the tiny island together or sitting together by the waterfalls. Sometimes they got Nino to join them, but Nino thought it was quite adorable to see Niji so smitten with another loftwing.

But there was one thing that did catch his attention: Niji always pulled him over to sit with Momo. At first, Nino had thought that Niji wanted him to accompany them while they interacted. But as the days went on, Nino realized that Niji often disappeared off somewhere when he sat down next to Momo. It was a curious thing.

He had confronted her about it one evening, after visiting Momo for the day. They were sitting at the tree in his backyard, just enjoying the warm evening weather together.

“You're not getting rid of me, are you?” Nino asked with a shake of his head. Niji stared at him in confusion, tilting her head to the side. “You keep disappearing and leaving me alone with Momo. What are you planning, girl?” Niji nuzzled against him before going back to grooming her feathers. Grumbling to himself, Nino leaned against her, taking in the orange sky, the soft breeze, and the warm sun against his legs. She was definitely up to something, he thought with a frown.

The next day, just as Nino was about to head over to the falls to meet Momo, his mother caught him just before he walked out the door.

“Kazunari, I need you to do something for me.”

Sadly, when his mother said that, she would never take ‘No’ for an answer. Unfortunately, the task involved him being in town for almost the entire day. Patting Niji, he watched as she flew off, probably to where Momo was. Since he wasn’t able to visit Momo at his regular scheduled time, he had told Niji to fly off to see Momo first.

“Those two are getting rather very close,” he mumbled to himself as he turned around to walk back to town.

The errand his mother hand sent him to do for her did take almost the entire day. When he was finally done, it was nearing sunset. He returned home and went to gather his belongings. He wanted to visit Momo today to check up on the loftwing’s wound. He looked around the yard for his loftwing, but she was nowhere in sight. _Strange,_ he thought with a frown. She would usually be here around this time of day. _Maybe she’s still keeping Momo company?_

Niji or not, Nino had to see Momo today no matter what. Walking back into town, Nino headed for Ohno’s house. He found the older man and his loftwing outside, sitting under the sky and munching on some snacks.

“Hey Nino,” Ohno greeted when Nino plopped himself down on the spot next to him.

“Hi Oh-chan,” Nino greeted back and gave a wave to Sammi. “Hey, Oh-chan, can I borrow Sammi for a bit?”

“Where’s Niji?”

Nino shrugged. “No idea.” A lie. “She flew off somewhere and hasn’t returned.”

Ohno looked up at Sammi, the blue loftwing happily chewing on her carrot sticks. “Are you alright with giving Nino a lift?” Sammi let out a snort and stood up. She ruffled her feathers before walking over to the cliff. Ohno smiled before turning back to Nino. “I guess that’s a yes.”

Nino grinned and leaned over to give his friend a hug. “Thanks, Oh-chan! She’ll be back to you as soon as I find Niji!” Ohno waved him off, taking a big bite of his bun.

When Nino climbed onto Sammi, he leaned down to whisper to her, “Can you take me to the Lonely Falls, Sammi?” The bird let out a soft response in return before running off the cliff and dropping down into the sky.

 

When they finally arrived at the small island, Nino gave Sammi a small piece of daikon as a treat. “Thanks, Sammi. You can go back to Oh-chan now.” The blue loftwing nuzzled against Nino for a bit before taking off into the sky. Smiling at the creature, Nino turned around and headed further in the island.

Just as he was about to call out for Niji or Momo, there was a splash of water at the falls, followed by a man’s voice.

“Ah, this feels so nice.”

Nino froze. Looking around frantically, he scrambled and hid behind a boulder. Peering over the top, there was a pale man with black wavy hair that reached the nape of his neck bathing in the water. _Who is that? Where’s Momo?_ Nino looked around before he saw Niji sitting on the grass near the stranger. When the man turned around, Nino gasped.

_Matsumoto Jun._

Jun was the prince of the Arashi kingdom, and he was real. In the flesh. Right there. _What is he doing here?_ Nino thought in confusion, narrowing his eyes at the scene. Niji seemed to know him well, not even doing much but squawk at him quietly when Prince Jun splashed water at her laughing. Niji was never that comfortable with people she wasn’t not close to— no. No way. There was no way. There was no way it was possible.

“This is truly a wonderful little island, Niji,” Prince Jun remarked, turning to the yellow loftwing. “Ah, this really feels so nice, but my arm…” Prince Jun winced and rubbed at his… _bandaged arm?!_ Nino gaped as he saw the blood-soaked bandages and before he knew what he was doing, he shot up to his feet immediately.

“Don’t touch it!” Nino exclaimed before running over in a panic.

Prince Jun whipped his head so fast in Nino’s direction, his eyes wide when he saw Nino coming closer. He dropped back down underwater, and Nino cringed when Jun shot up again, holding on to his arm wincing in pain. Nino kept his eyes on Jun’s face, afraid to look down. He didn't need to be punished by the prince later if he turned out o be an asshole.

“Prince Jun,” Nino scowled removing his backpack and getting out his first-aid kit. “Please get over here.” He let out an impatient noise when he saw the prince look at him warily. “I already know you’re Momo. How? I have no damn idea but that injured arm pretty much confirms you’re Momo, and the fact that Niji is comfortable around you. So please, your highness, get over here.”

Jun hesitated for a few moments before finally wading his way over to Nino and showed him his bandaged arm. He hissed when Nino began unwrapping the bandages. Nino frowned as he got to work, cleaning away the blood and dressing the wound again. As he rewrapped the bandages, he tried to avoid the heat on his cheeks. Prince Jun was now watching him intently, and it felt weird to be under the scrutiny of such an important person. Would he be thrown into prison if he messed up?

When he was done, Nino let out a relieved sigh and dropped his hands from the prince’s arm. “All done,” he said, finally looking up at him. Prince Jun touched the bandages gently before shooting him a grin.

“Thanks.”

An awkward silence came over them. Niji had moved to sit next to him when he was busy bandaging Prince Jun’s arm. Prince Jun looked back at him in exasperation. Finally, the silence was broken when the prince said in a wary tone, “So, you know… who I am...”

Nino frowned and began putting his medical supplies back in his bag. “You’re a famous figure, Prince Jun. I find it hard to believe that people wouldn’t know who you are.” He shifted to a more comfortable position on the grass.

“I guess…”

Now that he wasn’t concentrated on the bandaged arm, Nino took the chance to look at the prince properly. There were rumours that the prince could make women fall for him instantly with one look. And he was—handsome that was. He had strong features that made him look intimidating unless he was smiling. He had long and dark wavy hair that stopped a little above his shoulders. He was pretty built—his arms and chest were nicely toned, and he was very pale, a tell-tale sign he was part of royalty. All in all, Prince Jun was very good-looking, and Nino found it difficult to believe that he was also the cuddly and sulky Momo. Speaking of…

“You are Momo, right?” Nino asked cautiously. Prince Jun sighed and ran a hand through his hair with his uninjured arm.

“Yes, but you weren’t supposed to know that.” He grimaced, and Nino noticed the tiny moles on his mouth. _Huh._

Nino shrugged. “Well, it’s too late for that. Although, I have no idea how that’s possible. Magic?” he asked curiously. He didn’t want to pry, but he really wanted to know how Jun became Momo.

Prince Jun sighed and copied his position of sitting on the grass. “I guess it only makes sense to tell you since you helped me, and you don’t seem like the type to blab.” Nino shook his head and watch as the prince rubbed at his neck before crossing his legs together. “The royal family has the ability to transform into loftwings.”

Nino’s eyebrows shot up. “Ability? Magic?”

Prince Jun nodded. “All of us in the royal family have the ability to practice magic. Only those with significant magical power can transform into loftwings.”

“That’s… wow. So wait, if you know magic, can’t you heal yourself?”

The prince shook his head. “Sadly, I did not practice that branch of magic growing up. Mine runs more in offensive and defensive magic.”

Nino looked at him in bewilderment. Magic wasn’t something that was a secret subject to everyone, but not everyone was able to practice it either.

“Please don’t tell anyone this. It’s not a huge secret but… it’s not something I would like getting out,” Jun told him worriedly.

Nino looked at him with wide eyes, nodding absentmindedly. “But why would you trust—”

“Niji,” Jun said fondly, looking up at the yellow loftwing with a smile. Nino thought he looked quite handsome like that. “She told me a lot about you. I trust you.”

Nino felt his face heating up and he glared at her. “What have you been telling the prince, Niji?” he asked. Niji fluttered her wings and nuzzled against him with a coo. He grumbled in embarrassment. Jun laughed and shook his head.

“Nothing bad, I promise. She’s a very nice loftwing. You’re lucky, Ninomiya-san.”

Nino grimaced at the formal address. “Please. Just call me Nino.”

“Then you can just call me Jun then.”

“But—”

“I’m not in the palace at the moment, and you helped me. No need for the prince title.”

“Anyone would help an injured loftwing!” Nino protested weakly, knowing it was a losing battle.

Jun chuckled. “Maybe. But _you_ were the one that helped me.”

Nino nodded in exasperation, knowing he would lose this argument before frowning at the prince. “How did you end up with that injury anyway, if you don’t mind me asking?”

Jun narrowed his eyes and looked up at the sky. “Sky pirates,” he said with a scowl. “Apparently there’s still more of them than I thought.” He looked back down at Nino. “I’ll have to do something about that when I get back.” He sighed. “But with my arm like this, and the fact that no one knows I’m here… I don’t know how I can go back home.”

“Well, you definitely can’t fly with that injury,” Nino pointed out. “You’re going to make it worse if you do.”

Jun sighed. “Exactly.” He looked miserable.

“You just have to stay here for a bit, Pr—Jun-san.” Jun frowned at the slip of address. “I won’t tell anyone of course.”

Jun smiled at him then, and Nino felt blush at the kindness in his smile. _Why am I so nervous? He's just an ordinary— no._ The prince wasn't an ordinary person. He was one of the most powerful people in the skies.

“Thank you, that would be good,” Jun said gratefully. “I should be able to fly by next week I think,” he guessed.

Nino inspected the arm with his eye. “Probably. Though I do think you should wait for a little longer after the bandages come off, just in case.”

“You’re very kind,” Jun told him with an incline of his head. “Thank you for your help, Nino-kun.”

Nino blushed. “Yeah… well.”

Nino stayed and chatted with Jun for the rest of the evening before it was time to go home. The prince was quite a talkative man, and he obviously liked Niji a lot. Nino watched in fascination as the two of them communicated, even if Jun didn’t understand what Niji was saying, he just _understood_ Niji. Nino wasn’t sure if he should feel jealous by that, or intrigued that someone else could understand and communicate with his loftwing so easily.

“Thank you again.” Nino adjusted the bag across his chest and looked down at Jun in confusion from Niji’s back. “For your help,” Jun continued. “I really appreciate it.”

Nino tried to fight the blush that was threatening to appear. How many times did the prince have to say it?

“A decent person would do the same,” Nino replied with a shake of his head. Jun grinned and shrugged.

“Maybe,” he said.

“I’ll be back tomorrow,” Nino promised.

Jun smiled up at him again and nodded.

“I’ll be waiting.”

Nino blinked before letting out a nervous cough. How did one respond to that? Waving awkwardly at Jun, Nino tapped Niji on her side to move.

When they were in the air, Nino sighed and scowled at the creature. “Niji, why didn’t you tell me that Momo was _actually_ a human?” Well, not that she was able to. But a little hint would have been nice.

Niji squawked. Rolling his eyes, Nino wrapped his arms tighter around her neck. Typical.

 

Now that Nino knew Momo was actually a person, Nino began packing food for Jun. His mother never asked him about the extra container of food he would make for himself in the morning, but he knows she’s curious.

Jun was a breath of fresh air. He found that while the prince could be quite blunt, he was actually very genuine and kind like Aiba was; he was opinionated and up-to-date on current events (before his injury) like Sho; and he was passionate about the things he liked, similar to Ohno and his love for the arts and fishing.

Nino found himself fascinated with the prince the more he met and talked to him. It was obvious Niji loved him too, if the way she nuzzled him every time they met each other was any proof. Jun was fond of her too, often grooming her whenever she came to sit next to him. Nino wondered if he should be jealous, but he couldn’t bring himself to. They were cute together.

When the day came to finally remove the bandages for good, Nino felt a crushing feeling of disappointment in his chest. He tried to hide it as Jun stretched his arms, trying to get the numbing feeling out.

Nino didn't know why he was feeling disappointed. It wasn't that he didn't know Jun was eventually going to leave. But Nino had come to really enjoy talking to Jun, and having his company around.

“I should probably wait a bit before actually attempting to fly long distances, right?” Jun asked, when Nino quietly gathered up the bandages in a spare bag to throw away later. He didn't like how relieved he felt by that. _Am I that lonely?_ he grumbled to himself.

“Yeah,” Nino said, turning back to Jun. “You haven’t flown in a while, so it’s probably best you start flying short distances for now to build back strength in your wings,” he suggested.

Jun sighed in frustration but didn’t argue with him. “This is so annoying!” he complained. Nino chuckled.

“For now, why don’t you fly to town? It’s easier for me to grab food for you, and you can practice flying in the yard.”

“Would that be a good idea?”

Nino shrugged. “You said no one knows you, right? It should be fine. We can just say you’re a friend of Niji’s. And you don’t have a collar or anything.” He pointed at his own neck.

Jun nodded and rubbed the back of his neck. “That should work. It’s not uncommon for loftwings with riders to be friends with wild ones.”

“Did you have a pack with you?” Nino asked curiously. Jun was only wearing his riding clothes and nothing else. Jun shook his head.

“I lost it when I got hurt,” he scowled in annoyance.

“Did you have anything important in it?”

“Not really. Just travel supplies.”

“That’s fine, when you leave I can get you some.”

Jun smiled at him. “Thank you, Nino.”

Nino quickly turned his gaze away. What was with the prince and his smiles? He looked up at Niji, who was watching the two of them quietly.

“We’re going back to Kumo, okay?” Niji nodded and bent down so Nino could climb on. There was a flash of light behind him and when he turned around, a purple loftwing had taken Jun’s place. “That’s amazing,” Nino said in astonishment. Jun preened and stepped up beside Niji. Nino had a sudden urge to run his hand through the fur on Jun’s belly. Trying to push that urge away, Nino faced forward and tapped Niji’s side. He didn’t want to think about the implications of that now.

 

When they managed to arrive at Kumo safe and sound, Nino realized that Jun would have to be in his loftwing form for most of the time. As he watched Niji wander off to her nest, he turned back to Jun, who stared at him with his large purple eyes. It was a little surreal to know the loftwings in front of him was the prince.

“Okay, so, you probably will have to stay in this form for a while unless you choose to fly off somewhere?” Nino told him quietly. Jun nodded. He stepped back and tried to think. He didn’t want Jun to have to stay in his loftwing form the entire time, knowing that the prince probably preferred to be in his human form more.

There was only one suggestion he could make— it was risky but it was the only plausible one he could think of. “So… I have no idea if this would be a good idea or not… but when it’s night time, you could probably sneak into my room to sleep. I have an extra futon I can take out.” He looked up at the loftwing awkwardly as the prince seemed to be contemplating on the idea.

Finally, Jun nodded. Nino smiled up at him weakly. “Great! I’ll get the futon when everyone’s asleep at night and let you know when the coast is clear.” Jun nodded again, and Nino stood there awkwardly wondering what else he should say. Fortunately, he could hear his mother calling him for dinner from the house and he gave Jun a small wave. “Right, I’ll see you later. Niji likes to hang around here in the evening. I guess you guys can keep each other company?” He watched as Jun fluttered his wings at him a little before walking off in the direction Niji was headed to earlier.

Nino scowled. “Why am I so nervous around him?” he muttered, before turning around and going back into the house. It didn’t make any sense. Maybe it was because it was hard to believe that someone from the royal family was here, in their small little sky town. Kumo was just a dot on the Matsumoto’s family map. Sighing to himself, Nino walked faster when his mother called his name again.

 

“So who’s Masami?” Jun asked one night, out of the blue. Nino blinked and turned to his side to look at Jun on the floor.

Nino’s idea had been successful so far. His mother hadn’t noticed that the extra futon was missing, and it had already been a week. During the day, Jun wandered into town with Nino in his loftwing form. Everyone had been surprised when he showed up with “Momo” beside him. Fortunately, everyone accepted the lie that Momo was a friend of Niji’s.

Aiba had been intrigued with the appearance of Momo the very few times he got to meet him. Natsu and Sammi had taken to the newcomer well, and Nino was happy to see that Jun got along well with his friends’ loftwings. Jun had briefly met Sho and Keio when the pair were in town for a day before they were heading out again. They had gotten along well enough.

Nino knew his friends were bursting with curiosity about Momo, but Nino just pretended to not know any more than them. Truth to be told, Jun made an incredibly striking picture as a loftwing.

When he was walking down the mart just the other day, he heard a few girls whispering to themselves as he passed them, complimenting the loftwing’s majestic appearance. Nino wondered how often Jun heard that about himself.

Now that they had gotten to know each other a little better, Nino didn't feel too awkward around him. Jun looked up at him expectantly. Nino blinked before snuggling closer to the blankets. Still, having Jun ask him about Masami was a little embarrassing.

“She's… someone I used to know,” he said slowly.

“I would assume so,” Jun said with a chuckle. “Was she someone close to you?” he asked curiously.

“We used to be together,” Nino admitted quietly.

Jun nodded. “I had figured. I’m sorry for being so nosy,” he said sheepishly. “You just seem so lost in thought these days, and I had thought it was about her.” He crossed his arms behind his head and looked over at him patiently.

Nino bit his lip. Should he tell the prince? Was it weird to tell the prince about past relationship problems? _Why does he care anyway?_

Nino hesitated before speaking again, “She invited me to her wedding and… I don't know if I should go.”

“Was it a bad break?”

Nino shook his head. “No, it was mutual between us. We were—we are friends.”

“I see. So what is the problem?”

Nino stayed silent. How could he tell Jun that he was a coward? That the reason they broke up was simply because he was scared of the unknown and didn’t want to leave the safety of Kumo, a place he had lived all his life?

Arashi was large, vibrant, and full of people with ambition. And Nino? He was just an ordinary guy from a small sky town.

The idea of change scared him.

“Nino?”

Nino snapped out of his thoughts. He didn't want to tell Jun the truth… it was embarrassing. Jun, who probably had bigger ambitions and dreams than Nino would ever think of.

“Sorry Jun,” he said, faking a yawn. “I'm feeling more tired than I thought. I'm going to sleep.” He rolled over to the other side, facing away from Jun. “G’night.”

Nino could hear Jun shuffling from the makeshift bed beneath him before he responded with a quiet, “Good night.”

 

“You seem happier these days.”

Nino looked up from the cup he was staring at and turned to his friend with a raised eyebrow.

“Do I?” he drawled, sipping on straw again. “And how did you come to this conclusion?” He looked over at Aiba, as the other man fiddled with his straw.

They were at the cafe this afternoon because his friend had complained that he didn’t see Nino often these days. He had spent most of his free time outside of work to meet with Jun (who mostly stayed as Momo until they went somewhere private like the Lonely Falls), something that he didn’t really want to think about in greater detail. Jun was a nice man, and he told Nino countless stories about his life in the palace. It both intrigued and saddened him. The palace was an interesting place, but it reminded Nino how much different they were—how their worlds were far apart.

But Aiba was right: Nino hadn’t been meeting with his childhood friends lately.

“Is it that purple loftwing?” Aiba asked curiously. “He’s Niji’s friend, right? Hey, do you think they’re…?” He made a heart-shaped sign with his fingers.

“No, Masaki,” Nino said with a roll of his eyes. “They’re just friends.” He definitely didn’t want to think about Jun and Niji like _that._

“Are you sure? Niji seems to like him a lot!” Aiba pressed, looking over at Nino with wide eyes.

“Yes, Masaki,” Nino sighed. “They are just _friends._ ”

Aiba frowned. “Well, if you say so.”

“Trust me. I would know.”

Aiba shrugged. “But that doesn't explain why you're happier these days.”

“I really don't know what you mean by that,” Nino said in an annoyed tone. He was happy on a regular basis wasn't he? What was different?

“You just seem much more relaxed these days. It's not a bad thing, Nino!”

“Hmm…”

“So what's the purple loftwing like?” Aiba asked curiously. “I've only met it a couple of times, and both times Momo avoided me. Why Momo?”

Nino shrugged. “Because it's cute. And Momo is…”

How would he describe Jun?

As Momo he was a little bratty, a little spoiled and proud. As Jun, he was talkative; well-informed of the places his family ruled over; he was funny, often telling Nino funny stories of what happened in the palace; and he was kind. Jun was likable, and Nino didn’t think he would have that opinion of the prince, but it was hard not to like Jun. Nino thought of him as a friend now.

“Nino? You’ve gone quiet,” Aiba said worriedly, breaking Nino from his reverie. Nino shook his head.

“Momo is Niji’s friend,” he said with a shrug. “There’s not much to say about him.” Nino turned back to his drink with a frown. _And he’s leaving soon anyway…_ he thought. The reality of the situation made him feel more disappointed than he should.

Nino didn’t want to know the implications for that feeling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you in a few months ;P


End file.
